'98 S70: 16 y.o. A/C system presents first problem

[kallekula]

like i said i haven't tried this yet but my buddy has done it on a couple of cars and claims it works. Once I'll get my car running again I will do a write up once I've tried this.

[cn90]

have the same problem on my car. the clutch gap is way too big. a friend of mine told me to run a new wire from the battery and put a relay before the on/off cable on the compressor. The stronger current will make the clutch holdup without slipping. Havent tried it yet so I dont know if it works but it might be worth a try.

Don't listen to it, it will not work.
The current drop in the factory system is virtually nothing.

Doing the "zip tie" mod is quick, easy, painless and takes only 15 min or so.

[xHeart]

have the same problem on my car. the clutch gap is way too big. a friend of mine told me to run a new wire from the battery and put a relay before the on/off cable on the compressor. The stronger current will make the clutch holdup without slipping. Havent tried it yet so I dont know if it works but it might be worth a try.

Don't listen to it, it will not work.
The current drop in the factory system is virtually nothing.

Doing the "zip tie" mod is quick, easy, painless and takes only 15 min or so.

If Volvo uses electromagnetic clutch plate at A/C then kallekula is on to something.

[dosbricks]

This thread has morphed a bit into a current to clutch discussion, but as it is my habit to report back results after seeking advice, here 'tis.

My existing gap was a whisker more than 1mm. I read up on the various methods of shimming--bread ties, mechanic's wire, and zip ties. As just a matter of personal preference, I liked the bread shim the best because it offered more bearing surface than wire and placed it in the location that the factory designed, i.e. the three bumpers on the thick triangular plate attached to the hub. For esthetics, I made mine out of aluminum. A Texas license plate is high quality .7mm aluminum--perhaps recycled from those expensive imported XX Dos Equis cans--and easily cut with metal shears. A used the bolt holes in the plate for my slot and enlarged them a bit with a Dremel tool to the correct width. Also made the back end about I" longer than needed and scored it on both sides at the correct spot to snap off in the right place. The I'' tab, slightly angled, made them easy to insert in the cramped working area. After a test fit, I installed them with quick-set epoxy.

So the result is that the compressor is working 100% correctly. Now....How happy am I that I came to MVS and sought advice? rather than taking it to a shop that would have no doubt said I needed a rebuilt compressor = my wallet being whacked for about $450 or so.

A sincere thanks and thumbs up to the experienced veterans of MVS who share their time helping others. Not to mention the original thinker who first engineered this fix.

dos

[abscate]

Now there is a mission for my next Finance meeting ..finding the original "bread clip fix genius" ??

I've found it back on MVS in 2006 so far.

I wonder how much people have saved over the years on this gem, in total? 100k or more?

[dosbricks]

Here is a post over on vs site that is a re-post after their server crash, so the original would date to 2006. It's a clear write up with excellent photos, but you have to sign in to see them.
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/80 ... h-gap-fix/

[Peace3942]

Now there is a mission for my next Finance meeting ..finding the original "bread clip fix genius" ??

I've found it back on MVS in 2006 so far.

I wonder how much people have saved over the years on this gem, in total? 100k or more?

[Peace3942]

Bread clip fix for AC compressor clutch. How do you install this gadget?

[dosbricks]

Welcome to MVS.
Yeah, I had a bit of trouble finding very good photos of the actual installation, hence the journey over to vs.

Just pry the outer clutch plate inward toward the compressor using a regular flat screwdriver inserted in the space between the outer clutch ring and the center hub (shaft). Don't get so aggressive that you lever the whole clutch assembly. Then just insert the properly trimmed clip with your fingers behind each of the 3 round rubber bumpers. Do a test fit before gluing them in. You will find that you will have to open up the center slot on each clip to the size of the diameter of the bumper's mount shaft (viewable from the front of the clutch). The clip will also have to be trimmed on the outside edges to be rather pointed to fit in between the adjacent clutch spring circles.

See why a good picture is worth 1k words? Perhaps someone will help this new member with a pic.

[abscate]

It's hard to take a good picture of this but I put some in a thread last year. Try searching my username and key words 1999 v70 T5 AC